European Property Rights and Wrongs - Diana Wallis MEP

European Property Wrongs
– what can the EU do?
The areas affected
It is important to bear in mind that many EU citizens do successfully purchase
property in other member states, including those outlined below, and peacefully
enjoy their property without any problems. However, where problems are
encountered there tends to be underlying local causes and trends, local to the
region or wider state. The real challenges for the purchaser lie in being alert to
and understanding the social, cultural, commercial and legal aspects behind the
system of transactions and property rights in another country; a challenge especially
great when all the dealings may be carried out in an unfamiliar language.
It cannot be ignored, however, that some states have thrown up more problem
cases than others. Perhaps in greater numbers because the country experienced
a bubble of development, the pricing was advantageous to sterling buyers,
the infrastructure geared up for tourism and the critical mass for taking action
and bringing the problem to wider attention was present.
Spain has thrown up some difficult issues, where in regions such as Valencia
and Andalucia, planning law is devolved to the autonomous regional government.
Valencia introduced a law, the Ley Reguladora de la Actividad Urbanistica
(LRAU) in 1994 allowing for the expropriation of rural land where the developer
could obtain permission to have the land re-classified as suitable for development.
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